Presto Engineering expands RF capacity

Presto Engineering, a semiconductor back-end turnkey production service company, has tripled the capacity of its San Jose, Calif.-based engineering hub, and has added new RF device testing equipment to its Caen, France-based hub.

“The RF market is booming as a result of rapidly increasing consumer demand for smart phones and other mobile devices, and the massive expansion of backhaul and data centers worldwide. As a result, we are in full-expansion mode as we move to support this growth with aggressive investments in additional capacity. Many of our North American and European customers need to have testing and back-end support services close to them, rather than in Asia, for example, so that they can stay intimately involved with the development and ramp of these very complex, high-frequency devices,” states Michel Villemain, CEO, Presto Engineering.

Presto’s Caen, France hub will support all aspects of RF, as well as analog and mixed signal devices. The Caen hub is the only back-end service house in Europe with 12-inch wafer probe capabilities coupled with the most advanced RF automated test equipment (ATE) in the market. Presto’s San Jose hub will focus on high-frequency RF testing at millimeter wavelengths. Both operations will leverage Presto’s RF, high-speed analog and mixed signal test know-how developed in the past five years and resulting in highly optimized, cost-effective solutions.

“We are unique in our ability to serve the RF space from both Europe and North America,” states Villemain. “Many of our customers develop RF devices for very specialized and critical applications, such as the high-speed communications, medical or defense industries. They prefer to keep production nearby where they can keep a close watch on the fabrication process and avoid the risks and delays of off-shore production. We see growing demand for RF capabilities from our customers, many of whom are leaders in their target markets, and believe our capacity expansion uniquely positions us to grow and deepen our relationship with them.”